Aren't we always trying to find the perfect brush, the perfect easel, the perfect medium recipe...?

Well I am still looking for most of those things, but I have at least found my perfect palette! Actually I had it made at my local Glazing Company, but it was a worthy investment as it should last me a lifetime.

Anyway, rather than babble on about it, instead I thought I would simply demonstrate exactly why I like it so much...

Coming up:
On Wednesday, I'll be publishing a post on motivation, or lack of it... how to deal with a creative block/confidence crisis and tips on how to find the time to paint, when life gets in the way.

So I am still working away at the big marble painting...

The problem with painting large, is that I have to stare at it, at what I call its 'Skanky Teenage Stage' for considerably longer than I do a smaller painting. I have to keep reminding myself that it is 'just a phase' and that with a little more work, it will turn out just fine in the end.

This is why I compare this stage to a teenager. I mean, you have high hopes when you start out. You put your heart and soul in to it... You can't spend enough time with it and you just love watching it develop...

And  then, BAM!
Suddenly, without warning, you don't recognise your own work. It takes on a whole new look that you hadn't planned upon and frankly, you want to put your foot through it on a daily basis! And I have done that before... though I hasten to add, obviously to a painting and not an actual teenager (as tempting as it sometimes was back then)!

But, over the years I learned to be patient... To accept that this stage is quite normal. It is indeed just a phase and in the end, as long as the foundations are solid, it will turn out just as I had hoped.

Anyway, here is one of my Marbles at it's 'skanky teenage stage'...

Meanwhile, for those of you who have never lived with an actual teenager...
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​Q. Have you ever destoyed a painting and regretted it?
(How many?)


Week in a nutshell...

Baking: Jam Roly Poly
Listening to: The Lightning Seeds
Breakfast: Porridge, drizzled with Golden Syrup... (trying to be healthy)
Discovered: This cool new site 'Picfont'

​...So I have to credit my 20 year old Son, Charlie, for helping me put together my very first time-lapse video... Only this time it was me teaching him, patience!!
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​Q. What have you learned from someone half your age?
(Be honest!)


Week in a nutshell...

Reading: Bridget Jones's Baby.  (On page one...)
Listening to: Eva Cassidy
Breakfast: New York Bagels with cream cheese and Marmite. Mmmm...
Inspired by: Jennifer Mclean's recent blog post, at 'Just Add Water, Silly'

...And this isn't even the final layer!

Nope! There are still another TWO layers to go on some of these marbles once this pass is done and I need to work considerably more on those shadows too. But it's great to get the foundations down and it's good to get my teeth into something big again.

Anyway, here's a peak at my progress so far...

...In other news, even my Husband is getting inspired on my behalf these days... He had a great idea for a painting over the weekend and all because of a minor mishap in the kitchen! I'm not giving it away just yet, but it's a really cool idea and I'm excited to play around with it when this one is complete.

Studio Tip...

I don't know about you, but I find it all too easy to forget an idea that I've had for a painting. So, these days I have a whiteboard on my studio wall. Now every time I have a moment of inspiration, I write it down so I don't forget it. Of course some of them never get used, but plenty do. Right now I have 8 things on the list, 3 of which I have already done; 'One for the Road', 'Escapees' and 'Evidence'. It's scary to think that these ideas could have been forgotten and may never have made it to the easel had I not have written them down on my whiteboard!


Meanwhile, I am still getting comments on my previous blog. I think it's going to take a while for people to realise I've moved! But I know that some of you are here and if you are one of those who happens to have a link to my blog on your sidebar (thank you), don't forget to change it :0)
And have I remembered to add your blog to mine? Let me know if you're not on there!

Q. So, what's on YOUR easel right now?
(I'd love to know!)


Week in a nutshell...

Listening to: Al Marconi
Watching: Urban Myths: Hitler the Artist (Sky Arts)
Making: Time Lapse video's (I'll be posting one soon, so watch this space).
Activities: Baking! I baked these cookies at the weekend and they're DIVINE!!

In my first post, I said I would be posting more frequently than I did on my previous blog. So here I am again! And today I have a little preview for you... Well, more like a snippet of my latest work in progress. Only this time it's in the form of very 'professional' *cough* video!

...Oh okay, so it's not very professional at all. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, so no attention was paid to lighting etc... Nor did I clean my studio space to at least try to give the (false) impression that it's actually organised!

And the moment I started speaking, Sherlock assumed that I could only be talking to him. I mean, talking to myself would look a bit bonkers, right? So he came in to see what I was up to, which was a little distracting to say the least!

Anyway, at take 3, I decided to just post the damned video, flaws and all...

My next goal is to catch a cold... And I need to do this before making my next real time video. This way, hopefully I can sport a more deep, sexy kind of a voice, instead of the ten year old voice that seems to squeak out of my mouth when I hear it back on tape. Gaaagh!
 
Do I really sound like that?
 
Well, to my horror, yes! The voice we hear inside our own heads is actually deeper than others hear it. FACT. Like the camera, unfortunately a video also does not lie! If you're interested, you can check out the explanation I found to that here.
 
So if you have a cold, please let me know... And don't be surprised to find me licking the rim of your coffee cup!


Q. So, do you have any tips on making video's?
(I'd love to hear them!)


Week in a nutshell...

Listening to: The Lightning Seeds
Excited about: My new Time-Lapse camera! Expect some 'test' video's soon!
Thinking about: Getting fit... Just thinking... (Well, one step at a time!).
Favourite blog post: 'Flight Risk' by Nicola McLean
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